


Sleepover

by r_alistair



Category: Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: F/F, Fluff, M/M, Non Despair High School, Pre Despair High School, Pre-Despair (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26327206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/r_alistair/pseuds/r_alistair
Summary: Soft and lighthearted pre despair high school story... All these characters are so wonderful. Hoping I did them justice!
Relationships: Kirigiri Kyoko/Celestia Ludenberg, Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	Sleepover

The ending bell rings, true and bright on Friday afternoon. An ending bell is often welcome, because it signals just that: an ending. But today, for four particular students at the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy, it was not an ending but a precursor – a precursor to something wondrous and joyful and-

‘Kyoko~!’ The words came with a throwing of arms around shoulder and a nuzzle into a neck. ‘Are you writing again?’

The speaker was, naturally, Celestia Ludenberg – a girl who cut an intimidating figure unless, of course, you were her girlfriend, Kyoko Kirigiri. Two seemingly impassive, cold and emotionless figures reduced to admittedly adorable messes when in each other’s company – and they were not the only ones.

Outside of this classroom, outside of this floor, outside of this school, walking side by side – and by extension hand in hand, two figures. One of whom you’d expect this level of affection from, the other… not so much. Byakuya Togami, head usually held proud and tall was looking down, with a blushing face, at a much shorter figure. The figure, the shorter person, the boy, Makoto Naegi, looked up to see the blushing face of his beloved, only to see him turn away at the last second. A small pout on his lips, and then words.

‘You look cuter when you’re smiling at me.’ innocently and offhandedly said, but with quite a flustering effect on his partner.

‘I do not!’

‘Yeah, you do….’ and suddenly arms wrapped around the taller boy’s neck, the shorter boy on tip toes, a small kiss planted on the nose of Byakuya Togami, whose face was starting to resemble more and more the rose garden they were walking through.

How the moment would have progressed uninterrupted is but a mystery, because at that very moment the sound of a phone rang through the air, separating the two and sending hands off waists and back to pockets, where they had both received a message from one Celestia Ludenberg which read simply: ‘Be seeing you at five!’ and then the details of Kyoko’s address.

‘Come on,’ Byakuya spoke, injecting some authority into his voice, ‘we can stay at my house for a short while. And then be dropped off at Kyoko’s by car. Naught to worry about.’

‘Um, Byakuya? I don’t think I have money for a taxi…’ Makoto muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment by tilting his face to the side.

‘Don’t be foolish, Makoto. Not a taxi. A chauffeur. My chauffeur.’

‘Oh, right. Haha…’

‘Honestly!’ An exasperated sigh, a roll of dark green eyes and a small smile, hidden and kept for two.

//

‘Let me paint your nails.’

‘No.’

‘But I want to! And you’ll look even more beautiful!’

‘Flattery doesn’t work, Celeste’

‘Pity! If it were the other way round…..’

This back and forth, between these two girls, could have gone on for an infinite amount of time. But it was brought to what would either be a swift close or a pending climax by the next words said by the lavender haired detective.

‘Okay. But only if you say please.’

In that moment, so many expressions crossed Celeste’s face, that anyone who wasn’t a detective, nay, anyone who wasn’t the ultimate detective would have been bewildered. But Kyoko’s practised eyes could pick out, in order, surprise, shock, amusement, realisation and then a sort of mild annoyance that comes when the thing one desires is within reach only if one is willing to lower themselves a little further – Most people would have had no problem saying please – and Celeste usually wouldn’t – but well, being asked to say it was an entirely different matter indeed.

It was, arguably, in Celeste’s nature as the ultimate gambler to bluff and negotiate her way into preferred positions – and relationships were, by their very nature too, a compromise. But there was something about the girl you love most in the world asking you for something that changed you a little.

‘Alright then, you devious kitten.’ Celeste lowered herself into a curtsy and looked up at Kyoko with gentle eyes. ‘Lady Kyoko of Kirigiri House – may I please paint the nails of your hands using nail polish that I’m sure is located somewhere in your room?’

‘It’s not.’ Kyoko said, unable to suppress a grin.

‘Well! No issue at all. I have 4 vials in my handbag for situations like these alone.’ And, true to her word, Celeste pulled 4 vials of nail polish from an immaculately organised handbag and placed them on Kyoko’s writing desk come dressing table – a commodity Celeste was sure she’d rectify, a mental note made to attempt to persuade Kyoko into purchasing something much more stylish.

Taking Kyoko’s hand gently in her own, her own pale complexion looking almost alien next to the dark and honeyed glow of Kyoko’s unfortunately scarred skin, Celeste began wondering how a detective – a person of a profession so usually associated with a lack of physical labour had ended up with such an unsightly injury. Not unsightly, Celeste thought to herself. the beauty of Kyoko’s hands matches that of her face, her arms, her shoulders….. Little thoughts, but thoughts that truly were the indicator of purest love.

Just as Celeste placed her brush to begin painting the Kyoko’s last finger, the door bell sounded – an annoying trill that would have distracted and startled the hand of any other than Celeste, who – to her everlasting credit – remaining entirely calm, precisely proceeding to finish the last finger, before staying her hand to seal the bottle. ‘I’ll go get the door! Can’t having you smudging your nails, especially after I’ve spent all that wondrous effort on them.’

‘You made the painting look quite easy!’

‘I meant saying please.’

‘Ah.’

‘Ah indeed. Do not move.’ The sound of gently stockinged feet pacing the landing before proceeding downstairs was found oddly soothing by Kyoko, who was examining the sparkled and glossy dark purple coat of her nails. Maybe it’s not the sound of the footsteps, but instead the knowledge of the one who is making them…..  
‘Kyoko!’ The excited voice cutting through the serene atmosphere of Kyoko’s room, was – even without looking – easily recognisable as the voice of Makoto Naegi. He rushed forward and sat down on her bed in front of her. ‘Hi!’ His eyes scanned her room, absorbing every detail and filing them away to memory – as air headed as Makoto Naegi may have seemed, he had and observant eye and excellent instincts. ‘Your nails look so pretty! The colour suits you so much.’

Kyoko smiled – a genuine smile, once a rarity in her life but now something she was growing ever used to, and expressed her thanks. One could always be assured that when Makoto Naegi was speaking, the words were genuine. The figure in the doorway however…

‘Don’t listen to him. You look quite awful.’ The tall figure of Byakuya Togami leaned in her door frame, bearing a smile that once seemed demeaning but now - with just a little effort on Kyoko’s part – could be appreciated as… some form of endearing. The smile disappeared however, as a pair of pale hands clasped him from behind. He struggled for a brief moment before relenting, ‘Alright, alright! She looks lovely – There, I said it! Let me go this instant!’ The frantic requests were obliged and his words met from behind with a gently muffled murmur.

‘So!’ Celeste remarked, sitting on Kyoko’s bed also, and affectionately ruffling Makoto’s hair. ‘What are we to be doing on this fine eve, gorgeous hostess?’ A goofy smile from Makoto and a roll of eyes from Byakuya.

‘Isn’t obvious?’ He said, punctuating the sentence with a gently exasperated sigh. ‘I’m going to beat you at monopoly.’ The otherwise calm atmosphere shifts, with his words, almost imperceptibly to one filled with startled concern and laced with a competitive edge.

‘Well! You know… when both of you play monopoly together things can get a bit... which is to say, you’re both so good, and I don’t think it’s necessary to-’ Makoto was abruptly cut off with an owl like swivel of both of the heads of the people in question. They, together spoke in a dull, monotone unison.

‘Board. Now’

‘Well, my hands are all sticky. But hey, Makoto – I think the board is on the leftmost shelf in the spare room.’ Kyoko said, a tense and small smile overtaking her features. 

‘Top shelf or bottom shelf? Because if it’s the top one he’s going to need help reaching it.’ said Byakuya, his face describing what could only be described as cruel amusement.

‘Hey!’

‘It’s the bottom shelf.’

‘You guys….’

A scarce five minutes later, the board had been retrieved and laid neatly down. But no game had been started, as these two competitors could argue about seemingly anything.

‘Well, I want to play as the cat.’ Byakuya said, unaware of the escalation this supposedly innocuous statement would lead to.

‘You can’t play as the cat! I’m going to be the cat. I have a cat.’ Celestia responded idly, voice reaching a small height towards her last sentence.

‘Exactly!’ Byakuya pounced. ‘How many cats do you know that own other cats?’

‘Plenty! That’s how mother cats work.’

‘Well, that’s not owning. And even then it’s debatable considering the fluid dynamics of familial structure in feline families.’

‘You’re talking to me about feline families?’ Celeste interjected, a look of mock outrage on her face, wide eyes accentuated by her precise makeup. She was about to go onto would be a spiel, predictable only in the sense that it would involve as many personal blows to Byakuya’s ego as was possible, and a myriad of cat related metaphors. Kyoko, sensing this, and desperate to prevent her sleepover from turning into a competition of who could deal the most insults, decided that now was the time to interfere.

‘Why is anyone talking about feline families, to be honest?’ Makoto shot her a thankful look. ‘Forget this – you guys are playing scrabble and whoever wins the game has won the argument. End of case’

‘Not really the civil solution I was looking for, but it’ll do....’ said Makoto, sending her a gentle smile.

‘With these two, there was never going to be a civil solution.’ The words were muttered by Kyoko, and naturally, entirely true. 

Byakuya and Celeste had locked glaring eyes on each other, before agreeing in unison that yes, scrabble would be most palatable.

Scrabble was, of course, a precursor to more of the same.

‘No. That’s not a word. Don’t think you could best me.’

‘I have no intention of besting you, Byakuya. Only beating you. And I ensure that this is, indeed, a word.’

‘See! You’re bluffing. It’s in your nature. Someone get the dictionary.’

A groan from, well, everyone, filled the room. Makoto looked at Kyoko pleadingly.

‘Please – this time, can you do it?’

‘I’m sorry Makoto,’ came the calm response, voice tinged with sadness. ‘My nails haven’t dried yet – and I don’t want to ruin my books.’

‘….Okay….’ Makoto answered softly, with seemingly no fight. As he left the room, Byakuya turned to Kyoko with a curious expression on his face.

‘Are your nails really not dry yet?’ Byakuya questioned. ‘Whenever I get my own done, it takes scarcely fourteen minutes at the absolute most.’ He paused. ‘Then again, maybe my polish is simply better than yours.’

‘Are you trying to give me even more reason to beat you at scrabble! It’s my polish and it is custom made. I won’t tolerate any of your baseless slander!’

‘I lied.’ Kyoko said, face gently blushed. ‘I just really didn’t want to have to carry the dictionary.’

As raucous laughter ensued, gently flitting out of the confines of Kyoko’s room and out of her open window, the hearts of the joyous high school students swelled with happiness and understanding. If you were standing there, you would have seen the pillow fight that came to pass, and the happiness that emanated from the whole scene. You would have heard not only the exuberant voices of the friends, but something else, like a distillation of happiness and a boisterous sort of tranquillity. And if you were the Ultimate Despair, watching eagle-eyed from a nearby apartment building, you would have heard something different entirely: potential.


End file.
